Protect Your Garage Floor

Have you ever noticed that many garage floors are painted? It is one of those things that you may overlook until it is pointed out to you. Whether you are a car person or not, there is an excellent reason to paint your garage floor.

Garage floors take a lot of abuse. In most homes, the cars live in the garage. They are also used for storage, workbenches, an extra refrigerator or freezer, or any number of things. Garage floors get the tires' heat, the exhaust from the car, potential oil leaks, or any other fluids that can come out of your car.

Garage floors also get the water, dirt, and grime from outside and are subject to damage thanks to the weather since most garages are not heated.

Most garages are a typical concrete slab. Concrete is very porous. Any liquid, including oil, that gets onto the floor is going to get into the concrete.

Over time, the concrete will start to break down and crack because all of the dirt and grime seeped into it. On Long Island, which is prone to cold winters and hot summers, the changing weather causes liquids to expand and contract. The constant movement will lead to further cracking on your garage floor.

The best thing you can do for your garage floor is to protect it. There are several ways to go.

1 – Epoxy coating

Epoxy is the option that most professionals go with. An Epoxy coating will protect your floor by repelling stains and spills. Epoxy will also give your garage a clean and uniform look. Not only will your garage have professional-grade protection, but it will also look good.

2 – Urethane sealer

Unlike Epoxy, which will hide any imperfections, Urethane will not. Urethane will provide an excellent high-gloss layer of protection from stains and spills. Make sure you are using Urethane and not acrylic or latex. These coatings are more vulnerable to chemicals and oils, and with their matte finish, they don't look as good.

3 – Interlocking tiles

The easiest and fastest way to protect your garage floor is by using plastic or rubber interlocking tiles. They also come in a wide variety of colors and styles so you can have a customized look of your choice.

Interlocking tiles are suitable if your garage is not a high traffic area. If you do a lot of work in your garage, interlocking tiles may not be the best solution. They can get dirty quickly, tear, wear down, and even get moisture trapped underneath, which you are trying to avoid.

Most people do not put much thought into their garage. It is their parking space and a place to put stuff, so it is out of sight. If you ignore the garage and its floor, you risk a hefty expense once the floor starts to crack and break up due to all of the water, oils, and dirt that will regularly seep into the concrete.